Text: “Down by the banks of the hanky-panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky with a heap, off, over the top, land on a lily pad with the curplop.”
Context: A girl from Denver, Colorado describing a game she used to play with her friends as a child where they sat in a circle with their palms facing up. Each person goes one by one, singing and clapping their neighbors hand at the rhythm of the song, typically increasing speed as the game progresses. If you are the last person to be slapped, you’re out of the game. The last man standing is the winner.
Analysis: It was interesting to hear this rendition of the song because mine was slightly different in the second half from what I can remember. The beginning was the same, but the end of mine was slightly different, going, “heap, hop, soda pop, he missed the lily pad, he went curplop.” However, the heart and content was still the same, with the general storyline of the song and clapping hands while seated in a circle motion, trying to not get eliminated. This demonstrates the multiplicity and variation when passing along games.
Folklore: Hiding spoons or other items around the house and racing with the other participants to try and find them all before anyone else.
Context: The steward of the folklore described the game as hiding spoons around the house. She and her siblings would play it to see who could find them the fastest around the house. She noted they on occasion asked their parents to help hide the spoons over the house, but they didn’t take part. She implied asking for the parents participation in the game was rare. She didn’t have a name for the game, though she researched it and found the name ultimate spoons which sounded familiar.
Analysis: The game the informant describes seems to allow for connection and camaraderie within her siblings or other children. The informant was clear on how the parents did not participate in the game, and only rarely with the preparation of the game. It shows a shared value of fun and cleverness, with the goal of the game being good at finding and quick at it.
A variant of, or added rule to, the “Loser Says What?” game.
The basic idea of the ‘game’ is to quickly say the phrase “[Loser] says what?” to a person the player wishes to trick or tease, with [Loser] being replaced with any mean-spirited descriptor (‘loser’, ‘slowpoke’, etc.). If the target does not hear this phrase, they may respond with “What?”, therein ‘proving’ they identify with the mean-spirited descriptor.
This variant of the game expands on the premise, in which being tricked into saying “What?” means one must ‘pass it off’ to another person within five minutes, or face an unspoken consequence (most likely a feeling of shame).
Context
Learned from a friend of the informant during middle school, as a game played with several people. Played during recess or outdoors where lots of children are present.
Analysis
It is unclear to me whether this 5-minute rule exists in most versions of this game, or if it is unique to this group of people. In my experience, this was simply a harmless joke to pull on friends. In this context, it exists as a game similar to Tag, with the exception that a player is not made aware of their participation until after they are tricked.
Crock-a-dilly oh my Crock, crock, crock Say cinco cinco Cinco cinco sock-a-lock-a Fallow, fallow Stick your head in Jell-o Your face is turning yellow 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Alternatives: (Substitute for the last two lines before the numbers)
Stick your head in ink Your face is turning pink
Stick your head in water You look like Harry Potter
Video:
Context:
The informant is from Sudbury, Massachusetts and used this text in the early 2010s as they were growing up. The text is associated with a children’s game that is meant for 2 or more players. The informant played it at summer camps and recess in elementary school up until early middle school (ages 6-12). It acted as a bonding activity to the informant and almost every child knew how to play. To play the game, the children sit in a circle with their hands to either side. Each child in circle would put one of their hands on top of the player next to them and the other on the bottom of the player on the other side. For example, they might have their right hand on top of the hand of the player on their right, and their left hand below the hand of the player on their left. The game begins with one child moving their hand that is on top in an arc motion across their body to the other side, hitting the hand of the next player. Simultaneously, the group began to sing the song. The child who had their hand hit by the first player, repeats the motion to the next player who continues the chain. The sound of the clapping happens on beat with the song. The player who’s hand would be hit on the final beat as the song reaches “10” must pull their hand away before it is hit, making the previous player hit their own hand. If the player removed their hand successfully, they remain in the circle. If they were unsuccessful, they were eliminated from the game and the next round started without them. This continues on until only two players remained where the clapping game changes slightly. The two players sit across from each other and one puts their hands out facing up and the other places their hands above, facing down. The two move towards each other, clap in the middle, and continue moving apart. They then swap directions so the player that went down now has their hands facing up and vice versa. The two then continue the motion, again on beat with the song, with the same mechanic to eliminate the final player. If the final player is successful in removing their hands, they win. If they are unsuccessful, the other player wins. The tempo of the game is changeable and it can go as fast as the children want it to, making the game harder because there is less time to react and pull your hand away.
Analysis:
This game is common throughout many regions of the US but the song’s lyrics change. The last lyrics in this oicotype of the song make references to things that children enjoy such as the sweet dessert Jell-o and the middle-grade series Harry Potter. Other lyrics involve made-up words such as “crock-a-dilly” and “sock-a-lock-a.” Both of these lyrical choices reflect the fact that it is children who are making and adjusting this song. Adults wouldn’t focus on children’s novels or fake words in a song they made for children. Many other versions of the song include words in Spanish like this one. This may be for a few reasons. One is that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US and is therefore the most likely to be included alongside English in songs. Another is that Spanish is a commonly learned language for children in schools, where this game is often played. The Spanish in this version is the word “cinco,” meaning five in Spanish. This is one of the first words that is learned by children as they start a new language. Since children are the ones who are singing and changing the lyrics over time, incorporating Spanish that they are just starting to learn makes sense.
The game that goes along with the song suggests some adult involvement in the overall activity as it is a way to contain children and encourage bonding with a group. Groups of children do play this game of their own accord and enjoy it but it can be co-opted by adults for their own benefit. Adults might want all the kids in a class or summer camp to sit down and play a fairly stationary and calm game instead of running around and being rowdy. This game gives them that ability. The game is also able to expand to a practically unlimited number of players, allowing for both large and small groups of children to be contained.
“When we were little up in Canada, when it would snow, which seemed like a lot, and the snow would get packed down on the streets in our neighborhood, me and my friend would put on our ski clothes…and we would hide in the bushes near a stop sign. Then, when a car would stop at the stop sign, we would sneak in behind the car, grab the bumper, squat down so our feet were on the ground, and when the car would start to go we’d basically be skiing behind the car. And one time, when I was little, I was probably eleven or twelve, someone told me the story of the kid who was bumper skiing one time and got his finger stuck in the bumper, and the car pulled his finger right off!”
Context
M grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, but currently lives in Seattle, Washington, The United States of America. He called the activity from which this urban legend stemmed “bumper skiing,” which, from his description, seemed to be a regular and popular activity when the weather conditions were right. The ‘someone’ he mentioned telling him the story was one of his friends; he also did not know the specific identity of the boy who lost his finger in the legend. When asked if this legend influenced him or his attitudes and behaviors towards bumper skiing at all, M said: “Well, I was a little more careful where I put my hand!”
Analysis
To me, this urban legend seems to serve two main purposes. On the one hand, it seems like a way to acknowledge and even emphasize the dangerous play taking place and create a greater sense of risk. That the boy in the story is unnamed creates a sense that it could happen to anyone. It also perhaps allows for a way to externalize and discuss personal fears and anxieties around the practice more indirectly. However, this legend is also clearly a cautionary tale about the harm that may be caused by improperly bumper skiing. M’s telling of the context surrounding bumper skiing indicated that it was a somewhat secretive form of play with little to no adult supervision. For M personally, the legend had a tangible effect on how he partook in bumper skiing, making him more conscientious of his own safety. The spread of this legend could create a way for children to check in on and enforce each other’s safety by drawing on a general sense of folk authority and knowledge.
